Icelandair will install the Astrova inflight entertainment system from Panasonic Avionics (PAC) on its upcoming A321LR fleet. The kit will provide in-seat entertainment from nose-to-tail, as well as several additional services from PAC for content and advertising management.
By delivering the innovation of Astrova and a range of digital solutions, we are confident that Icelandair will be able to engage more effectively in-flight with its passengers than ever before.
– Andy Masson, Vice President of Product Management at Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Passengers in the carrier’s Saga Class business class cabin will have a 16-inch, 4K OLED monitor at their seat. In economy class the screens are 13 inches. All seats will have access to Bluetooth pairing so passengers can use their personal headphones if desired.
While not explicitly stated, the Astrova screens support USB power ports for travelers, so it is assumed those will be available as well.
Icelandair will take four A321LRs on lease from late 2024 (EIS in 2025), with A321XLRs expected to join the fleet at the end of the decade. While not committed, the carrier previously expressed confidence that “further additions” to the A321LR fleet are possible following the initial tranche.
All about the software
While bright, high definition screens make up a big part of customer satisfaction on board, delivering a flexible, extensible platform on the back end is how IFE providers differentiate their entertainment platforms with airlines. Panasonic Avionics is not shy in calling attention to the software and services that will be delivered alongside the screens for the Icelandair deployment, including Marketplace, OneMedia, Arc Moving Map, and ZeroTouch.
Marketplace and OneMedia are all about ancillary revenue generation. The former helps airlines to build out on-board sales portals while the latter is an advertising platform that delivers targeting options, campaign management, and analytics to evaluate the performance of those offerings.
Arc is PAC’s next generation moving map offering, with ample opportunities to deliver flight navigation details, as well as advertising potential if the airline wants.The latest revision of the Arc platform added live data links via inflight internet services, allowing for real-time weather overlays and, more importantly, real-time transaction processing for ancillary sales integrated with the map.
Finally, the ZeroTouch service dramatically eases the content loading process for airlines. Updates to entertainment selections, advertising, and passenger data is handled via an on-board cellular modem rather than “sneaker net” loads via a USB thumb drive. This enables faster turnarounds for billing and customer data, more frequent updates of content libraries, and more efficient interface updates.
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